Hoisin Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Do you ever order mu shu pork at a Chinese restaurant? It’s my favorite, and I think it’s mostly because of the sauce, that thick, dark, gooey, sweet and spicy hoisin sauce.

It’s readily available in the Asian section of the grocery aisle, at least around here, and you can use it as a dipping sauce or glaze for practically anything—wings, meatloaf, ribs, salmon, eggplant, meatballs, chicken, and in this case, brussels sprouts.

In this quick and easy stir-fry, we lightly boil the halved sprouts first, so they cook more evenly. We brown sliced onions, stir-fry them with the blanched sprouts, ginger, and garlic, and then sprinkle everything with some rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin, and sesame oil.

These brussels sprouts are like candy, so good! A pound of brussels sprouts will serve 3 to 4, but if left to my own nefarious ways, I’ll eat the whole batch.

Method

1 Whisk together the seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce in a small bowl, set aside.

2 Place a steamer rack in a medium pot, add an inch of water. Heat the water to a boil, then add the brussels sprouts to the pot. Cover the pot and steam the brussels sprouts for 5 minutes. Remove the sprouts from the pot and lay them out on a baking sheet to cool while you cook the onions in the next step.

3 Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large sauté pan over high heat on your most powerful burner until the surface of the oil shimmers. Add the sliced onions and toss to coat with the oil. Sear over high heat until the edges of the onion slices begin to brown, about 4-5 minutes.

4 Add the ginger, garlic and brussels sprouts to the pan and toss to combine. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until the brussels sprouts begin to brown.

5 Add the rice vinegar, soy sauce and hoisin sauce mixture to the sprouts and toss to combine. Stir-fry for a minute or two (watch the sides of the pan and turn off the heat if you see any of the sauce scorch on the side of the pan). Drizzle with sesame oil and add salt to taste. Serve at once.

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Showing 4 of 16 Comments

nancy

My, oh my! I just made these brussel sprouts and let me tell you that they are just about the most delicious thing I have ever had. I just had to comment on this dish. I put a bit of red pepper flakes into the sauce for a bit of heat. Thank you – and my husband thanks you, too.

Nancy

Hi I never cared for brussel sprouts before adding hoisin sauce to them. I simply steam them, including frozen ones until tender, drain. Place them in a skillet with Hoisin sauce, and heat to glaze. My children love them too–previously would not touch brussel sprouts because of the smell and funny after taste. Hoisin sauce solved their concerns.
You can also roast the brussel sprouts rather than steaming
Its a fast side dish that tastes like a complicated preparation.. It also works well as an appetizer served with toothpicks.

T. Hannibal Gay

Brussels sprouts are a member of the mustard family and medical science has found that if women eat two servings from the mustard family everyday, you can cut your risk of breast and cervical cancer by a whopping 37% percent. It also protects men from some cancers to a lesser percentage. I have been looking for good recipes to give my young daughters who are now grown and out in the wide world. Thank you for another nice recipe Elise and I urge all of you to eat mustard greens- broccoli, B. sprouts, cauliflower, bok choi, and Napa cabbage.

I love all forms of brussel sprouts, usually roasted or high-heat saute in a similar manner as above (but with bacon…). Roasted is my go-to method though, finished simply with some coarse sea salt and fresh pepper. The hoisin sauce sounds like a winner! Recently made David Lebovitz’s amazing (!) Char Sui BBQ short ribs, these two recipes together and I wouldn’t be able to stop eating the whole pan!

Sandy S.

I like brussel sprouts very much and do wonder about those who don’t care for them. Perhaps bothering to find young tender examples might be worth a 2nd try. I alway prefer the smaller brussel sprouts not only for their tenderness and flavor but also because they tend to cook more quickly. I am a fan of organic vegis (even at the price!) but sadly, they often have not been raised or harvested for their best texture or flavor. I am looking forward to trying this recipe with some nice tender brussel sprouts!